It’s hosted ducks, cricket games, Christmas in the Park … and that’s about it. But next month, Auckland Domain will be transformed into the site of a new music festival called Spring City with an all-day line-up headlined by UK dance veterans Groove Armada and Hot Chip. Also on the bill for the November 26 events are Compton producer Channel Tres and locals Ladyhawke and Zane Lowe.
It is, says promoter Hamish Pinkham, the first promoted musical event held in the Domain in more than 20 years. “It’s been a long time coming and something we’ve been working really closely with Auckland Council on,” he told The Spinoff. “It’s been a slow process … we want to prove we can run an effective, safe and efficient concert in the city and from there we can expand.”
The festival will see the football field between Auckland Museum and the Wintergardens fenced off and converted into a music festival site, with doors opening at 1.30pm and music spread across eight hours. The dance-heavy line-up also includes locals DJ Sin and the rising pop-rock act Coast Arcade. The site can hold up to 12,000 people.
Pinkham, the founder of Rhythm & Vines who is also bringing Fatboy Slim to New Zealand for six shows early next year, says nostalgia is a key factor in touring trends right now. “It’s heritage, it’s in that sweet spot, it’s come around again,” says Pinkham. Basement Jaxx, another British dance act from the 90s, will also perform here soon, and Groove Armada are also playing shows in Christchurch, Wellington and Napier.
He hopes his new Auckland Domain festival opens the door for other events to be held in the same space and says it’s been underused for years. “There’s no reason we can’t have more accessible, all-ages outdoor events in the city,” says Pinkham. He promises Spring City will become an annual event headlined by more “heritage names that haven’t been to New Zealand for a while”.